Friday - Third Week of Lent
March 9, 2018
Love truly is the mission of our lives. All our actions must stem from love of God and love of one another. Love has an endless power to feed upon itself. It is the bond of perfection that connects us all. While on earth, we are to work toward becoming a vessel of love in everything we do. We are on a journey together, walking humbly with God, toward a Love so great that it is beyond what our earthly minds can comprehend. Knowledge of our journey helps us to keep faith, hope, and love alive. In the words of Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, “How delightful the prospect to behold people all of one heart and one soul, loving one another, sharing readily the joys and sorrows of every neighbor, and walking hand in hand to heaven.” We were loved into being and we are to grow in love. We are not here to change the world. We are here to love God and one another and that will change the world. Even though eternal life is something our earthly minds cannot comprehend, we must remember that God knows us each by name. In the afterlife we will be one in Christ, yet each of us will continue to be a unique vessel of God’s love
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It is easier to act with a loving heart, toward everyone who crosses your earthly path, when you remember we are all on the same God filled journey and we are to leave no one behind.
I could not keep love as my mission in the forefront of my actions without having a personal relationship with God Our Father, Christ Our Brother, and the Holy Spirit of Love. I know that God wants me to be intentional in my actions. I am not yet the loving person God wants me to be, but I will keep trying until my earthly death. I am a practicing Catholic Christian. What helps me to keep practicing is talking with Our Lord, reading Sacred Scripture every day, attending Mass, receiving Holy Communion, thanking our Blessed Mother for her intercessions, reading books by saints, popes, and others who help me on my journey, and acting on Jesus’ commandment to love God and one another.
I am grateful to be a member of St. Anthony Parish because I can see witnesses of God’s love everywhere. We have many ministries in which love shines forth. One of our ministries is the McAnthony Window. If you ask our McAnthony Window sisters and brothers why they come to the window, they would probably say, “for food and coffee.” But, I hope many would say, at least in their hearts, that they come for the love we offer. I hope they feel welcomed with both food and fellowship. Food nourishes the belly, but fellowship nourishes the soul. Would you like to do more to nourish your soul and the souls of others? You can by planting seeds of love. The joy comes in watching them grow.
Carrie Delcourt
St. Anthony Parishioner (and Parish Council President, Eucharistic Minister, McAnthony Window volunteer)
